The Virgin Queen

Elizabeth I. Hilliard. Victoria and Albert Museum.

Living in a conservative society, in which both tradition and
religion proclaimed the natural inferiority of women,
Elizabeth used her sex to advantage by creating a personal
myth that raised her above the ordinary.

Elizabeth's councillors pressured her
towards marriage as the natural course, essential to ensure
an undisputed succession. But Elizabeth found more advantages
in remaining single. She could avoid the loss of authority to
her husband and the dangers of childbirth, while using her
eligibility for political gain: European monarchs who were
hopeful suitors were less likely to pose a threat. Like
Cleopatra, in Antony and Cleopatra, Elizabeth was a
strong ruler who was willing to use her sex to
advantage--only in Elizabeth's case it was by remaining a
virgin. Also, by refusing to name her heir, Elizabeth
prevented him or
her* from becoming a focal point of
opposition.

Queen and huntress, chaste and fair

Elizabeth could also justify turning the divine order of male
dominance upside down by asserting that it was the will of
Providence: she was appointed by God to restore the
(Protestant) Gospel to England--and, after all, she ruled by
divine
right.

Her virginity set her apart as an extraordinary woman,
allowing propaganda to raise her to the level of a virgin
goddess; literature*,
music*, and art* furnished many allusions
to Elizabeth as the chaste moon-goddess Diana (Diana,
Cynthia, Semele) and even made her a rival of the Virgin
Mary: "In earth the first, in heaven the second Maid." The
Queen may have had quite personal reasons for choosing not to
marry: "If I am to disclose to you what I should prefer if I
follow the inclination of my nature, it is this: beggar-woman
and single, far rather than queen and married!" (From Haigh,
Elizabeth I, 13-20.)

Propaganda and reality

Although Elizabeth's tactics -- what today we might call her
propaganda machine -- seduced her courtiers, subjects and
even historians, she was not infallible. Representations of
Elizabeth dating back to her coronation portray her as an
almost divine monarch; however, especially in the early
stages of her reign, she walked a very fine line. For
example, shortly after her coronation she was courted by many
men who hoped to father the next heir to the English throne.
People began to speculate to the extent that betting pools
were run on who the next King would be. Eventually, the line
of candidates for the position of Elizabeth's husband became
so long it caused a royal scandal which threatened the
political stability of England. It is likely that at this
time Elizabeth consciously decided to remain single and adopt
the persona of the virgin queen, both to save appearances and
for future political maneuvering.

Footnotes

Waiting in the wings . . .

One of the most prominent possibilities for an heir was
Mary Queen
of Scots, a Catholic. The prospect of
Elizabeth's yet taking a husband and producing an heir might
have deterred Mary from pressing her claims to the throne
prematurely, since she could still be named Elizabeth's
successor.

Literary tributes

In drama, several plays were written specifically to glorify
the Queen: Lyly'sEndymion (1588)
personifies Elizabeth as Cynthia, chaste and unattainable
goddess of the moon; Peele'sThe Arraignment of
Paris (1589) dramatizes the choice Paris had to make
between the goddesses of power, fame and love, but in this
version he turns instead to the Queen sitting in the audience
and gives the golden apple to her.

In poetry, the line quoted on the main page ("Qeen and
huntress, chaste and fair") is from a poem by Ben
Jonson included in his Court
masque, Cynthia's Revels-- in which,
again, the Queen is figured as the goddess of the moon. Also
spectacular as a tribute was Spenser's
epic, The Faerie Queene, in which Queen Elizabeth is
represented in allegorical form by several different
characters.

One up on a goddess

In 1601 a whole collection of madrigals was published, called
The Triumphs of Oriana. In it, all madrigals were
framed as compliments to the Queen, and all ended with the
refrain "Long live fair Oriana" (a reference to Elizabeth).
Thomas Morley, who set
some of Shakespeare's songs, and Thomas
Weelkes each contributed a madrigal.

Weelkes' is a wonderful example of the genre, and its lyrics
are typical: as the Roman goddess Vesta was descending from
her shrine, attended by the vestal virgins, they saw "a
maiden queen" ascending. The vestal virgins desert the
goddess and join the train of the queen, singing, of course,
"Long live fair Oriana."

(Listen to the way the music echoes the sense of the words
with notes rising as the nymphs go up the hill, descending as
they descend, and so on.)

As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending,
She spied a maiden queen the same ascending,
Attended on by all the shepherds swain,
To whom Diana's darlings came running down amain,
First two by two, then three by three together,
Leaving their goddess all alone, hasted thither;
And mingling with the shepherds of her train,
With mirthful tunes her presence entertain.
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
Long live fair Oriana!

The allegorical Queen

Many state portraits of Elizabeth made use of allegory or
symbolism. Below are listed some of the symbols associated
with the Virgin Queen (note how they stress qualities of
Elizabeth's dual nature as both sovereign and woman,
particularly in the image of the pelican):

the Tudor Rose: unity and order

a fleur-de-lis: English claims in France

a phoenix: the eternal nature of kingship

a serpent: prudence and wisdom

a sword: justice

long hair: virginity

an ermine: purity

a dog: fidelity

an olive branch or rainbow: peace

a pelican: Christ-like redemption and charity (in legend,
the pelican fed its young on its own blood).

(Information on symbolism in art is derived from Roy Strong's
Gloriana, The Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, 1987.)

The dancing Queen

Part of Queen Elizabeth's personality cult involved elaborate
celebrations at Court, including feasting, dancing (as
recreated in this illustration) masques, and
performances of plays, including many of Shakespeare's. Click
for more on Court life.